Electric driving mechanism



Sept. 15, 1931. A. H. NEUREUTHER 1,323,556

ELECTRIC DRIVING MECHANISM F'ied Jllly. 5, 1927 FIG. n

Patented Sept. 15, k1931 luruTan STATES ANDREW PATENT OFFICE;

COMPANY, OF PERU, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ELECTRIC DRIVING MECHANISM Application led Jalyb, 1927. Serial No. 203,517.

My invention relates to electrical driving mechanisms and has for its'object the production vof a driving mechanism for clocks and similar devices whereby an electrical current is used to storeup the power or driving force which then utilizes said stored upy power to drive the clock or similar mechanism. Its further object is to produce such an electrical driving mechanism in which'the usual diili- .110 culty due to the destruction or burning of the current connection or switching contact points is entirely eliminated. A further object is to produce such a driving mechanism that is also very economical in the consump- 15 tion of electrical current by the means of the interrupted-current that flows into a condenser Whiclistores the electric energy for giving one impulse to the power storing mechamsm and then the discharge of said stored 1 y20 electric energy from said condenser for giving the next or alternate impulse to saidpower storing mechanism, thus very materially prolonging the time that any given source of electrical power as a dry battery, can operate such a device. It is well known that ifthe current is allowed to iow continuously (not being interrupted by means of a condenser) that the usual dry batteries immediately polarize and mustbe renewed frequently to produce the desired operation of the driving mechanism all of which is expensive and r'ather impractical for 'clocks and similar mechanisms.

b Its further object is to produce such an electrical driving mechanism that will be largely independent ofthe voltage of the electrical current that supplies the electricity for its operation, and at the same time preventing the burning ordestruction of switch or contacting points when said points are connected allowing the interrupted flow of current, or broken to permit the use of the discharging of the condenser current.

y A further object is to produce such a mechanism which is very simple in construction, eii'ective, accurate and economical in opera.- tion and inexpensive to manufacture.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a rear view 'of my electric clock having the rear movement plate removed.

Fig. 2 shows a top view of my electrical clock showing the electric current charging device in section.

Fig. 3 shows an enlargened side view of the current charging device. Y v

Fig. 4 shows an enlargened cross-sectional view of Fig. 3 along a line AB vand further diagrammatically showing the method of electrically connecting in the condenser, and the electro-magnet with same and the source of'electrical power.

Similar numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views. In the drawings, 1, represents the front plate and 2 the rear plate of a usual clock movement having the usual main wheel 5 and the spring barrel 6 having a spring 7 one end of which spring 7 connects the arbor of main wheel 5 and the other end with the spring barrel 6. Barrel 6 is mounted on arbor 8 which has a key 9 for the manual winding of the spring 7. Mounted on arbor 8 is a winding ratchet 10 which is prevented from turning backwards by means of a pawl 11 fastened to plate 2 and held into the ratchet by means of the usual ratchet check spring 12 also fastened to said plate 2. Wheel 5 drives the center wheel 4 and as usual the clock gear train as shown. Center wheel 4 is mounted on its usual arbor 13 which not only carries its usual dial train and hands but a commutator or current changing device which comprises a hub 14 (see Fig. 4) by means of which it is mounted on center arbor 13 as shown in Fig. 2. Mounted on arbor 14 but electrically insulated therefrom and from each other bv means of the insulating material 15, 16, 17, and 18 shown and indicated are two similarly-formed toothed wheels 19 and 20 preferably having the same number of teeth and so locked in relation to each other so that the tooth of the one registers with the space of the other, the insulation 18 being interposed between 19 and 20 and of sufficient diameter so it comes very close to the top of the teeth on said members 19 and 20, so that the brush contact member 21 which is mounted on plate 1 touches a tooth on 20 and then a tooth on 19 each one alternately and touch #l i the insulation betweentheV contacting with eachV of the alternate teeth 011720 and 19 respectively so as to avoid short circuiting the Vcurrent across these teeth, the purpose of which lwill be further mentioned below.

Referring` to F ig. 4, further, contacting Y brush 21 is connected lto a condenser 22 by net is. connected to a source of power shown vmeans of a wire 23 the other side of said condenser being connectedto the electro-magnet 24 by means of a'wire 25 which electro-mag- (as is'also the condenser and electromagnet) Vas a battery 26 by means of" a wire 27vtlie other side of battery k26 being connected by a wire 28 to a contacting brush 29 to which is fastened.' an insulating member'30rwhich is fastened to plate l and contacts with the side offthe toothed wheel 20. Fastened on insulated member 30 opposite contact brush 29 isa contacting brush 31 which itisV evident is always electrically insulated Vfrom contacting brush 29. Y Contactin@ brush 31 has a wire 32 that electrically connects it withwii'e 27 at a' point *in the electrical circuit between theelectromagnet 24 and battery 26. F rom an inspection ofthe diagrammatic circuits Vshown in Fig. 4 it is evident that when the tooth of wheel 2O touches the contacting brush 21 thepositive electrical current will flow from= battery 26- through Vwire 27 thence through electromagnetv 24, then Vthrough wire 25 to charge the condenser 22, while the negative current -flows through wire 2S then con- Vtactingbrush 29 thence toothed' wheel 2O thence contacting brush 21 thence wire 23 to the other side of the condenser 22 until the condenserv22 is fully charged when the iiow of'current will be stopped. The impulse of current in passing through the electro-magnet24 will as usual energize the' electro-inagnet causing it to exert an impulsive or pulling movement on its armature to be "described below. As the wheel 14 is rotated and contacting brush 21 leaves the tooth on the toothed wheel 20 and engages a tooth on toothed wheel 19 thereby starting the elec` trical circuit'through toothed wheel 19 then contacting., brush 31 thence wire 32 thence wire 27 thenceelectro-magnet 24 then wire 25 and the condenser 22 thence wire 23 thence contacting bruslr21 and toothed wheel V19. This circuit cuts out the battery 26 but discharges the electricalcharge in thecon denserV 22 which again energizes the electromagnet 24 andl causes it toV again exert an impulsive pulling movement on its armature as above mentioned. It is evident that because there is no currentiiowing at the time ci making and breaking the contact between the teeth of the toothed wheels 19 and 2O and contact'- ing brush 21V there lwill bepractically no sparking so that these contacts will last indefinitely. It is also evident that because the continuous direct current'is" used it cannot li'iowv'through the condenser so that4 only a deiinite (really measured) minimum amount of current is used5 making it very economical and enabling the use of the ordinary dry batteries, serviceable with my invention kwhich plates are mounted adjacent to and vfastened to movement plates 2 and l respectively by means of the pillars 38 ofthe movement shown mounted on the arbor 35V and adjacent' to plate 37 is a ratchet wheel 39.

A ratchet pawl 40 one end of which` engages.

theiteeth on said ratchetwheel 39is pivotaliy'mounted on plate 37 and is held in engagement with said ratchet teeth by means ofthe spring 41 shown. Below said ratchet'wheell 39v and fasten-ed between said plates-36 and 37 as shown is the above mentioned electro-l magnet 24having pole pieces 43 which electro-magnet is energized by means of the electrical. circuits and current as above described.

Adjacent to pole pieces 43 isan armature 44 which is Vpivotally mounted in plates 36 and 37 by means of an arbor 45; Pivotally mounted on one end of armature 44 by means of pin 46 is apawl member 47 the freeend of which engages the teeth oi the ratchet wheel 39 and isVV held in engagement thencewith by means of the spring 43 one end of which spring is fastened to said pawl member 47 and the other'to the projection 49 on` armature 44. Connected to the 'other end of ar-V mature-44 by means of the aperture member 5() is a spiral spring 51 the other endof which is fastened to a threaded member 52 which passes through Van aperture in a member 53 fastened between the plates 36 and 37. The nuts 54 are mounted on the threadedpart of member 52 belowy member 53 and regulate the tension of the spring 51. A Y

It will be seen thatwhenever the electro` magnet 24 is energizedby either the battery current-or the current fromthe discharge of Yhe condenser, all as above mentioned, and the armature 44 is drawn down to the pole piece 43 that the pawl member 47vwill slide over a tooth on theteeth or the ratchet wheel .39, the said ratchet wheel being held in position during this period by means of the pawl 40 as above mentioned. As the armature 44 is drawn toward the pole piece 43 it stretches the spring 5l storing the additionalmechanical power in same and which as the current impulse dies away almost instantly exerts saidvpower and force -on the ratchet wheel 39 through the pawl member 47 and iinally to the spring 7 through the pinionY 34 and Vgear wheel 33 from whence it operates the clock in the usual manner. n Y

It willbe seen that with the proper number of teeth in toothed Wheels 19 and 20 the current impulses can be so regulated that they can be utilized to operate one or more secondary clocks.

It is evident that instead of having the clocks driving spring 7 operating the clock at the point shown, it can be attached to any of the arbors closer to the clock escapement, whence considerably less force will be required to actuate the movement.

From the above description, it is evident that my electrical driving mechanism is eX- tremely economical and eii'ective in operation, entirely eliminating all dii'iiculty due to the burning and'sliding of the contacts so common in these devices previous to my invention.

It will be understood of course that While I have here shown one forni of my invention, I do not Wish to limit myself to the exact form shown but Wish to have it taken in a sense illustrative of any or all forms that come fairly Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In an electric driving mechanism of the type having a condenser associated with an electromagnet for driving clocks, an electric current changing device comprising a rotatably mounted holding means, a plurality of electrically conducting disks each having an aperture and projecting teeth formed integral therewith mounted on said holding means and electrically insulated therefrom and from each other, a conducting member mounted adjacent to each of said disks contaeting with the side thereof and a conducting member mounted adjacent to and contacting With said teeth.

2. In an electric driving mechanism of the type having a condenser associated with an electromagnet for driving clocks, an electric current changing device comprising a rotatably mounted holding means, a. plurality of electrically conducting disks each having an aperture and projecting teeth formed integral therewith mounted on said holding means and electrically insulated therefrom and from each other, a conducting member mounted adjacent to each oi said disks contacting with the side thereof and a conducting member mounted adjacent to and alternately contacting with a tooth on each of said disks.

3. In an electric driving mechanism. of the type having a condenser associated With an electromagnet for winding the driving spring of clocks, an electric current changing device comprising a holding means mounted on one of the arbors of said clock, a plurality of electrically conducting disks each having an aperture and projecting teeth formed integral therewith mounted on said holding means and electrically insulated therefrom and from each other, a conducting member lated therefrom and from each other, a con- I ducting member mounted adjacent to each of said disks contacting with the side thereof and a conducting member mounted adjacent to and alternately contacting with a tooth on each of said disks.

ANDREW H. NEREUTHER. 

